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Voltarian Plague Wyrm
Voltarian plague wyrms make their homes in the rocky crags of the southern Alasre Mountains where they overlap with the Etain Desert. They have long been used in Voltar and the southern cities for their healing merits, and so much has been written about them that certain healers work almost exclusively with these wyrms and can work around their handicap. The voltarian plague wyrms are exceptionally susceptible to all kinds of spells, especially harmful ones, and any magic other than their own can alter their state making them harmful instead of helpful. Until the voltarian plague wyrm has worked the magic out of its system it is best kept away from any other living creature. In the wild, these small wyrms are excellent trackers, and will pursue big game for many leagues in order to find a meal. During the seasonal migrations, the wyrms return to the mountains and position themselves in canyons and narrow valleys to wait for passing herds, then lunge at them all at once. It is a dangerous endeavor and the wyrms that survive their first attempt may have to try many more times before they can latch onto a host. The reward is well worth the effort, though, as a wyrm that manages to catch a ride with a herd will have a supply of blood for weeks to come, passing between hosts as it pleases. Voltarian plague wyrms require the warmth of the desert and the volcanic regions, and so cannot stay with their hosts indefinitely. Should the weather grow too cold or too wet, they will depart from their host herd and travel back to the desert by foot. Egg Faint red markings glow on the surface of this egg when you brush your hand across it. --- This egg has a soft shell, and smells slightly rotten. Hatchling Voltarian plague wyrms hatch out of their egg nippy and ready to latch onto the nearest hand that wanders too close. Their large yellow teeth are already well-developed and even protrude slightly from the mouth, like tusks. These allow the wyrms to grab onto a warm-blooded creature and begin feasting on their blood. The youngsters are small, however, and quickly sated; they can be removed with cold water, but need regular meals in order to stay alive. Oddly, their parasitic behavior is reported to make hosts feel invigorated, rather than fatigued, owing in large part to the wyrms' healing magic. However, for the more squeamish magi, larger creatures like pegasi and kordaetis elephants are good donors for Voltarian plague wyrms for they seem not to care if the creatures are stuck to their sides for a while. Between meals, the small draconians can be difficult to get along with, but when they are well-fed and curled up next to a fire, they may let their magi stroke their backs. --- The hatchling appears sickly and weak, and despite not eating, it is still alive and somehow seems to be thriving. It has doubled in size and is getting increasingly harder to control. You haven't been bitten by it yet, and something tells you that you don't want to be. Maybe you shouldn't let it wander around at night... Adult Adult wyrms are difficult to train, but once a voltarian plague wyrm bonds with a magi, they will remain loyally at their side. By the time they reach their full size, voltarian plague wyrms, sometimes nicknamed vampire wyrms for their parasitic nature, can survive for longer periods without blood and only need to feed once every few days. They will take blood from a dish if it is warm, but usually prefer to hunt on their own. Despite their rarity, voltarian plague wyrms are prized by healers and the source of many important medical tools. The saliva of a voltarian plague wyrm can seal wounds or keep blood from clotting, depending on how it is prepared and applied. The wyrms have weak venom that can sterilize wounds if boiled, and the fangs themselves retain this property for long enough that shed teeth can be carved into scalpels and other useful equipment. Aside from their physical properties, a voltarian plague wyrm can sense when a person or creature is ill, and should they choose to feed on them, the patient will heal more quickly. Trained wyrms are invaluable aids in warfronts and healing wards alike. --- Plague wyrms are creatures in unnatural stages, brought about by malformed and failed spells. They are often said to be the result of necromancy and other dark magic, but they can come about from regular spells too, on occasion. Where the draconians usually have healing properties, it would seem that this wyrm lives up to its name as perpetrator of malady. Plague wyrms have the unpleasant ability to contract any pathogens their host might be carrying and retain the disease, spreading it with a touch. This is a great problem if a voltarian plague wyrm manages to find its way to a populated city, and many terrible outbreaks have been attributed to these creatures. Additional Information *No. 709 *Obtained from the Donation Shop for 2 (October/November 2016) *Sprites: Tekla *Description: PKGriffin *Transforming: This is the first creature with text changing according to the transformation. **Day - dark blue with red markings **Night - sickly green *Breeding: No Category:2016 Creatures Category:Donation Category:Artist: Tekla Category:Wyrms Category:Transforming